Senior Polish judge deletes tweet about transgender child

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - A Polish top court judge on Thursday deleted a tweet in which she had publicized personal information about a transgender child, triggering accusations that she had placed it in danger.

It is the latest development highlighting a divide over LGBT and gender issues that pits conservatives in the mostly Roman Catholic nation against those seeking greater acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

So far, discussions have focused mostly on adult gays and lesbians, but the judge's tweet this week brought calls for empathy for transgender youth.

Krystyna Pawlowicz, a justice on the Constitutional Tribunal, wrote critically on Twitter on Tuesday about the case of a school in the town of Podkowa Lesna, near Warsaw, which is respecting the child's wish to use a girl's name.

In that original tweet, Pawlowicz argued that the school was disregarding the official sex designation on the child's records. Pawlowicz referred to the child as a boy, gave its chosen first name and the full name of the principal, as well as the name and address of the school.

Amid the controversy triggered by the tweet, Pawlowicz on Tuesday said she had deleted it 'œfor the sake of the child.'ť

Pawlowicz is a former lawmaker for the country's ruling party, Law and Justice, who is known for her strongly conservative views. She was appointed to the Constitutional Tribunal in 2019.

Earlier Thursday, Cezary Tomczyk, who leads the centrist Civic Platform's parliamentary group, accused Pawlowicz of putting the child 'œin real danger.'ť Tomczyk said the party was submitting a request for prosecutors to investigate.

The mayor of the town where the child attends school, Artur Tusinski, published a statement Wednesday calling the original tweet 'œdisgusting'ť and saying it took aim at the welfare of the school and the principal.

Tusisnki also said there had also been an 'œenormous'ť outpouring of support for the child and that the school is 'œopen to the needs of every student, including transgender students.'ť

'œWe do not agree to the cynical use of children in political games," he said.